Tanzania

Hellen Dausen wanted to be a professional model and she was serious about it. After graduating with a BSc. in International Business Administration and Entrepreneurship from the United States International University-Africa in Nairobi, she participated in the 2010 Miss Universe Tanzania beauty pageant and won. As the winner, she received a scholarship to study performing arts at the New York Film Academy and the opportunity to pursue a modelling and acting career. But things did not turn out as expected.

There is a lack of awareness in respect of female entrepreneur associations, and very little interaction between existing associations and such associations’ potential members. Existing associations need to concentrate on promoting themselves and the services that they can offer to members. Associations need to be coordinated so that they can form a network, thereby facilitating the sharing of information, services, training, and resources, which would lead ultimately to the strengthening of such associations.

“For intra-trade to develop within the African region, we have to focus on value addition,” says Jennifer Bash, the co-founder and CEO of Alaska Tanzania Industries Limited, a company involved in the sourcing, processing, packaging, distribution and marketing of food products in Tanzania. “When we started, most of the products that could easily be sold in Tanzania were imported,” says Bash, a marketing graduate from Baruch College in the US. “We had eggs coming from the UAE and the UK and it is not because we did not have eggs in Tanzania, it is because the eggs we had were sold locally without being packaged and branded.”

When Adri Kruger’s husband was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, she was forced to consider what many entrepreneurs give little thought to – a succession plan. “It became very difficult for me to give my full attention to the business, because my husband needed me more. I didn’t have a contingency plan for what would happen to my business if something were to happen to me,” recalls Kruger, the founder of Tzaneen Country Lodge, a four-star hotel situated in South Africa’s northern Limpopo Province. Kruger later appointed Lorraine Ntimana – who joined the lodge as a receptionist about 10 years ago – as the general manager.